


the jetlags and the catalysts

by briwookie



Category: Junjou Romantica
Genre: Bartender AU, Bartenders, Junjou Romantica - Freeform, M/M, Misaki and Akihiko being adorableyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-03 23:54:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10261937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/briwookie/pseuds/briwookie
Summary: Usami Akihiko accepted the routine of traveling and sleeping in a new hotel every day. He even accepted buying all of his dinners from the convenience store and drinking until his flight the next morning.But when he meets the cutest bartender in Osaka, it could pay to stay rooted.





	

**Author's Note:**

> "I don't remember you looking any better - but then again I don't remember you." 
> 
> \- John Mayer

i.

He had sworn that he’d been to every city in Japan. 

Akihiko Usami, the author who knew little of sleep and stability. Today would be Osaka, and then tomorrow? It all depended on the phone call. He considered collapsing on the king-sized bed as soon as he entered his suite, but if he fell asleep now, it’d be difficult to stay that way when night came. For now, it was only evening, and he desperately needed a drink. He walked out to the patio and lit a cigarette. Twilight beckoned him, stars making their way through tattered clouds and skylines. Among the apartments and houses beneath him, he could see living room lights flicker off, spouses going to bed or getting ready to go out. He watched the smoke of his cigarette rise, and as he finished, he grabbed his wallet and was gone.

It was needlessly cold. Spring couldn’t come soon enough, and Akihiko had to huddle for warmth as he called for a taxi. Their air conditioning was jammed, of course.

“Where you heading?” The overweight driver asked over his shoulder. Akihko considered lighting another cigarette just to get some heat in the car.

“Your closest bar.” There was no further conversation.

Not even five minutes later, and the driver pulled up to some place with broken lights and two men in trenchcoats lounging on the side. 

Akihko gave him a couple of bills, and didn’t reply to his exasperated expression. He walked inside and smelled the drunk off the people at the bar. He took a seat, drowsy from the lack of lighting inside, and licked his lips at the décor. Hokusai paintings were by the assortment of liquor, and if it could be any more obvious they were in Japan, he’d be surprised. Prepared to get wasted, he took out his bills and let them linger, and if he waited any longer he probably wouldn’t look up to see one of the most intriguing men he had ever seen in his life.

The boy was young, or at least, his youthful look didn’t go unnoticed. He wore the uniform – long-sleeved white button-up with a necktie. Akihiko has seen it before but didn’t think it could actually match someone as well as him. The brunette gave a polite smile and eyed the money for only a second.

“You look like you’re not in any hurry.”

“What if I said I was but I changed my mind?”

Akihiko watched a smile spread on the boy’s face, green eyes recognizable even in the dark room. “Awamori?”

“Say when.” He took the spirit off the wall with a glass and starting pouring. Halfway full, Akihiko gestured his satisfaction and took a sip. It was strong, just like what wanted.

“What brings you to Osaka?” The bartender asked, preoccupying himself with cleaning something on the counter.

Akihiko licked his lips, the alcohol’s taste on his breath mixed with the remnants of tobacco.

“Interview, welcoming party, autograph session…” He started listing what he knew off the top of his head, and the boy sent a questionable look.

“Autograph?”

Akihiko was just as confused. It wasn’t sheer egoism that he was surprised not everyone knew who he was, but a comfort that he could start scratch with someone. He shot the rest of the drink, leaving his glass empty.

“I’m an author – my name is Usami Akihiko.”

“Ah, Usami.” The boy refilled the glass.

There was a brief silence where Akhiko expected the action to be reciprocal. When the boy caught on, he become flustered.

“My name is Takahashi Misaki.”

The feminine name left the writer in slight bafflement but he went with it. Misaki. He found the bartender start to laugh and he raised an eyebrow.

“It’s funny, your name is Usami. An old friend of mine – well, he was friends with my older brother – we called him usagi because he reminded us of a rabbit.”

“Well, that is what usagi means.” Akihiko took a drink. Misaki gave off a comical expression.

“I see that the more you get drunk, the more your sarcasm comes out.”

“And I wasn’t even trying to be sarcastic.” Akihiko replied.

“Want some water?”

“No, thanks.”

“Well, Usagi-san,” Misaki grinned at the empty look he got back, “I am not held responsible for any injuries you may receive while you are here.”

“Says the person getting me drunk.” Akihko responds. He considers sending a wink but he reminds himself not everyone is as luxuriously gay as he is, so he resigns.

They talk as other guests left the bar, leaving behind comments of how drunk they were, or begging their dates to take them home. Before too long, midnight had passed, and Akihiko glanced at his wristwatch. He had to be awake and ready for the interview in six hours.

“You look like you’re at a date not going well.” Misaki commented. Akihiko smirked at that and took his last sip before getting an extra bill out and putting the money on the counter. Misaki looked at the one tip that could surpass an entire month’s worth of paychecks and was trying to persuade Akihiko to keep some.

“This is kind of careless, giving a man this much money when you barely know him.”

“I will have you know I am the most responsible person when it comes to finances.” Akihiko watched Misaki give a doubtful expression and he started walking out the door.

“Are you going to be here when I come back?” Akihiko asked, and Misaki shrugged.

“Could be, or I could be in America. Atlantis? Sky’s the limit.”

“Then make sure you’re at the next bar I go to.” The author said, pushing through the front door and about to misstep. Misaki watched the near-miss and chuckled to himself, locking up.

ii.

Sometimes a year can pass in a blink. Akihiko couldn’t remember a single line from the interview he went to while he was in Osaka, but the boy with the feminine name and shape stuck to his mind all through the months. To say that he was eager to run into him again at the bar was an understatement. He swept in, and as expected, the boy was there, serving another gentle a cocktail. Akihiko sat where he was last time, and Misaki glanced over with surprise in his eyes.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the rabbit man!” Misaki was wearing his hair half up and Akihiko had to control himself not to swoon.

“Here to rid you of your crops and alcoholic beverages.” Akihiko watched as Misaki reached for the spirit for the older man to raise his hand.

“You remember what I had last time?”

“Kind of hard to forget, you drank the remainder of what was left.” Misaki watched Akihiko point to a wine and he grabbed it and a wine glass.

“Fill it up, we have some catching up to do.”

Misaki smiled. “Then maybe I should sneak something for myself, too…”

“Takahashi-kun!”

Both Akihiko and Misaki turned to another individual coming up to Misaki in the same uniform. He was taller, wearing frameless glasses. He handed Misaki a white sheet.

“You’re cut!”

“But I just got here a couple hours ago?” Misaki looked confused as he apologized to Akihiko. He ran to the back of the bar where Akihiko assumed his manager was. The other worker gave the author a grin.

“What brings you to Osaka?”

“Your top button is off.” Akihiko commented, finishing this glass of wine as Misaki started to leave the bar. The worker tried fixing his outfit, flustered, as Akihiko left his money and started to follow suit.

Misaki started walking to the intersection, wrapping his scarf around his neck and huddling underneath his coat. Akihiko managed to catch up, avoiding the crowds of people going out on a Friday evening. When Misaki turned on a street, Akihiko met him underneath a lamppost.

“You just gonna leave me hanging with the rest of those goons?” Akihiko watched Misaki turn, surprised the man followed him.

“I would if I knew you were going to scare me like that.”

“Grab a drink with me somewhere.” Akihiko watched as Misaki scrunched his face in thought. The brunette bit his lower lip as he pulled his hairtie out.

“I don’t know if that’s a wise decision.”

“Huh?” Akihiko crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m just…” Misaki sighed. “I just need to get home.”

“Let me get you a ride.” Akihiko insisted. His heart dropped but he understood the need for isolation – he cherished it all of his life.

“No, no don’t do that…but I do work tomorrow.” Misaki added. “That is, if your interviews and several fans can give you that much time.”

He sent a smile before turning around and heading out. Akihiko watched snow fall, but felt his body set itself ablaze.

iii.

“So what you’re trying to tell me is you actually dropped out of the second story window?”

“It was so embarrassing – but what else are you going to do if someone locks you in the guest room?”

Misaki took another sip of his scotch before refilling Akihiko’s glass. Akihiko warned the boy to not let his managers see, but they were the only ones, with twenty minutes to close.

Misaki affirmed he could be drunk if he wanted.

“But actually attempting to shimmy yourself down?”

“Okay, it has proven itself in the movies to be effective.”

Akihiko smiled to himself and took out a notepad out from his jacket. He started jotting down something and Misaki leaned over to see what he was writing. The mixed smell of alcohol and lilac tinted Akihiko’s nose in the best way possible.

“What are you scribbling there?”

“This is going to be a thing in my next novel – a kid gets locked and finds useless ways to injure himself as he falls out of a widow.”

“Don’t forget to give me credit once the book becomes a movie.” Misaki smirked. “Good ideas like mine don’t come around every day.”

“I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.” Akihiko was about to put away the notepad before Misaki took it out of his grasp and removed the pen from his shirt pocket. He wrote something else, in thick numbers.

“Your phone number?” Akihiko deemed the gutsy bartender impressive, before recognizing how close they were to one another, only inches apart.

“To give me credit.” Misaki whispered, flushed. “Obviously.”

Akihiko tried to understand the context in those green eyes but he found himself talking without thinking, once again.

“You want to get out of here?”

iv.  
Akihiko felt the sun through the window, and he squinted his eyes at the alarm clock on the other side of the bed. 

It was early morning, barely passing seven. He started to sit up and stretch his arms when he glanced towards an empty spot besides him and instantly, he felt nervous. Standing up and putting on the shirt he wore last night, discarded after their arrival back to his hotel, he made his way to the kitchen in a hurried fit. Thoughts of inadequacy plagued him, until he smelled something.  
A plate of eggs were waiting on the table with a bowl of rice on the side. Misaki was still in the kitchen, fully dressed.

“You’re such a heavy sleeper.” Misaki commented, and Akihiko wondered just how early he had to have gotten up to say such a thing. 

“You also only had leftover convenience food in the fridge so I went to the store and got a few things. Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome.”

“Thank you.” Akihiko couldn’t remember the last time someone cooked him a meal for just two. He sat at the table and waited for Misaki before taking the first bite. It oozed in his mouth and he smiled.

“It’s delicious.”

v.

“You move around a lot don’t you?”

Misaki was cleaning the frontier of the bar as Akihiko finished his glass of wine. After a day of nothing but lounging and adventures of all kinds – well, adventures in naked pursuits and stealing all of the covers during mid-day naps – they were back in their perfect setting. Akihiko lit up a cigarette, even with Misaki scowling at the smell from a distance.

“For work, I go everywhere the sun shines.”

“So that would mean you’d have to leave Osaka again soon, right?”

There was a definite silence as Akihiko witnessed the look on Misaki’s face. It was a mixture of all the conflicting emotions that Akihiko didn’t show.

“Probably, but I’d come back. You’d want to see me again, right?”

“You should know how I feel without me having to say it.” Those words, so straight-forward. Sometimes Akihiko envied the boy for it.

“Yes?”  
Akihiko watched Misaki roll his eyes, a blush forming on his face.

“But you know, Takahashi-kun…”

“Misaki.” The boy corrected him, as Akihiko hoped he would.

“Misaki. You know that if I went to Tokyo or hell, even back to England, I’d always make my way back if you’d want me.”

Looking at the older man with a look of content, Misaki smiled lightly.

“Sometimes you say the strangest things.”

“Be a dear and make me another drink, would you?”

vi.

“You’re going to be there at the airport to see me, right?”

Akihiko rolled in his bed, hearing his lover of now five years laugh on the other end.

“Even though we live together you ask me this.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were the first face I saw when I get back to Japan.”

Akihiko heard Misaki’s laugh die, and the other boy was obviously smiling on the other end.

“I’ll have a bottle of wine waiting for you, and an omelet – covered in green peppers for extending your trip.”

“…Good thing you have that wine, then.” Akihiko chuckled. “Oh, my plane just landed. I’ll call you when I land.”

“Okay, Akihiko. Have a good night.”

“Good morning.” Akihiko replied, watching as the sun set behind the mountains.

Off to home.

**Author's Note:**

> Could you believe this was my first Misaki/Akihiko fanfiction? Even though I have been a fan of the series for almost ten years now?
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
